info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (03/22/85)
From: <decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!rdh@BERKELEY> I am relaying the following query for a friend who is not on the net. My apologies for any ambiguity, but my familiarity of the needs is not in-depth and I'm not REAL familiar with IBM stuff. My friend is looking for VAX/VMS software/hardware solutions for implementing an information center. Approximately 1.1 gigabytes of data would be downloaded from an IBM mainframe on a weekly (or perhaps more often) basis. This data would then be subject to retrievals by roughly 60 end users (initially) -- no updating of the mainframe database would occur. The VAX would also be used for office automation and some word processing. Specifically the software needs include: o Integrated relational data base management with VERY easy to use query interface, spreadsheet, and graphics software o ALL-IN-ONE type (or better) office automation software o WPS type (or better) word processing software Additional needs include: o Ability for each terminal to access either the VAX (as a VT24x or VT100 with Tektronix 4010 graphics ability, depending on graphics software), the IBM mainframe (as a 327x), or an HP 3000 (as whatever is appropriate) at will, but primary connection would be to the VAX o High speed interface between the IBM and the VAX to facilitate the transfer of the 1.1 gigabytes of data o High speed interface between the VAX and the HP to facilitate data interchange o The VAX will either be located with the IBM, in which case all of the user terminals and the HP will be located across a highway, or the VAX will be located with the users, in which case it will be across the interstate from the IBM. The only existing available cabling between the two sites is not-great-quality fiber optic cable. DEC has proposed a VAX 11/785, connecting to the terminals via a DELNI box with an SNA gateway to the IBM (but they say the fiber optics cable isn't up to specs and they won't support using it -- replacing the cable or adding a new one would cost in the area of $40,000). ORACLE is the current primary candidate for a database management system, but it doesn't seem to have a particularly good user interface and no graphics (not sure about spreadsheet). ALL-IN-ONE and DECgraph have generated lots of excitement among the staff, but DEC proposed a plotter which will not work with DECgraph. Which prompts the following questions: o IS THERE a plotter that works with DECgraph (i.e., ReGIS)? o IS THERE software to convert ReGIS plot definitions to HP/GL or anything else that there are plotters to support? Any information on any of these topics would be greatly appreciated. However, due to a proposal deadline, the need for information is IMMEDIATE. If you are able to respond thru usenet, please send mail. Rick Hulon (...decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!rdh) Thanks in advance to those who respond.
info-vax@ucbvax.ARPA (04/04/85)
From: dual!lll-crg!osiris!kc@maryland.ARPA (Kathleen Callaway) I can respond to only part of your query. Since your friend is aiming at a VAX and has considered Oracle, I would recommend RTI Ingres from Relational Technologies, Inc. RTI Ingres runs on a VAX under both VMS and BSD 4.2. It has screen-oriented user interface with a graphics package. (I have not used the graphics package.) It is a truly relational database, making it easy to redesign queries on an ad hoc basis. It has a decent report writing facility that non-programmers can master. Its query language QUEL can be embedded in a number of "high level" languages available on a VAX (C, Fortran, Pascal, BASIC) so programmers can build applications running on the database. This recommendation comes from my being a project leader for an application written in C with embedded QUEL on a VAX 11/750 VMS 3.5 for the past year. We are now up to Ingres 3.0 and enjoying good support on the whole from RTI. Kathleen Callaway